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28 .COM Ever wished that within the space of a few minutes, and without resorting to painful cosmetic procedures, you could completely change your appearance? Ever desired a mansion as big as a shopping mall? Secretly longed for your own tropical island? Wanted to visit the set of The L Word and have a chat and coffee with the stars? Well, guess what? Now you can! Yes, it’s true. Welcome to your reincarnation and, no, you don’t need to die to be rebirthed. Just log onto your computer, follow a few instructions ... and ... tada! Here’s your Second Life. What is Second Life? “Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its Residents,” states secondlife.com. Introduced to the public in 2003 by its creators Linden Lab, visitors average around 9,294,393 worldwide. ‘Residents’ come from all walks of life: doctors, lawyers, activists, housewives, actors – the list is exhaustive. In this remarkable lifelike cyber world users are given a modifiable avatar (a representation of themselves), which is able to fly, run, talk, walk, even have sex. Residents can explore towns and cities, socialise with other Residents, join in or host activities. This virtual world even comes with its own monetary system – the Linden dollar’(L$), which can be converted into real U.S. dollars. The current exchange rate is about L$270 per US$1. This money allows Residents to buy virtual products such as houses, land, beauty products, clothing, and is paid for with real dollars (use PayPal or credit card) through Linden X, Second Life’s official currency exchange. And just like the real world, this cyber universe comes with its own cluster of communities. Intricately planned houses, shops, hotels, islands, towns and cities are designed and built by the Residents. The communities are as diverse and wide-ranging as the people who construct them. There are places that offer anything from the chance of finding romance to travelling to sports. Die-hard fans of The L Word can enjoy their own virtual 3D experience of the television series, complete with impressive replica settings taken from show locations. Hang out at The Planet, attend speed dating or engage in group discussions with other fans of The L Word. They can even meet their favourite stars of the show via live chat events. Chatters have included Laurel Holloman (Tina Kennard), Pam Grier (Kit Porter) and Daniela Sea (Moira/Max Sweeney). Attend one of The L Word dance parties or go to a nightclub. If you like schedules, take a look at the timetable of upcoming L Word events listed on their noticeboard. Your L Word adventure is only limited by your imagination and how much interaction you choose to have with other Residents. If The L Word is not your thing, there are other lesbian and women-only spaces and communities on Second Life including the Isle of Lesbos, the Lavender Club, Pink Passion, and more. One thing to consider is that should you make friends and even have sex with any of the women in these spaces, the comely avatar Resident in question may be attached to a male user. So how does all this work? First, you need to sign up; a single basic account is free and includes unlimited access to tools, events and communities. You then select a virtual-world Christian name and from a drop-down menu choose a surname from an extensive variety of monikers. Choose carefully as this becomes your exclusive cyber-world identity. Now, how do you want to look? Select from an array of appearances and styles already, such as the sexy nightclub female (complete with clingy top and tight jeans), stylish city woman with her chic look, cute Harajuku female or rebellious cybergoth chick. Don’t like any of them? Personalise your avatar to resemble yourself. Once you have completed all these steps, you’re ready to launch the new you into whichever utopia you wish to go! Second Life is not without its problems. As in the real world, an element of crime exists, regardless of Second Life’s effort in policing and punishing unruly Residents. Should a Resident fall foul of Second Life law, the Police Blotter lists date, time, violation, region and place of his/her offence and displays what action was taken by the Second Life Abuse Team. Something like disturbing the peace incurs a seven day suspension. One Resident was even convicted of assaulting others with scripted objects! His punishment — a warning. Reports are emerging of an even darker side within the virtual community. It is claimed that some Residents are participating in illegal endeavors such as gambling (online gambling is unlawful in the US). Even more disturbing are allegations of pedophilic activities. According to Time magazine, police are looking into allegations that members traded pornographic photos of real children on the site, and several European governments are upset that adult avatars are having sex with childlike ones. The experience of this parallel universe is not for everyone. Users with real world problems will still have those problems. Second Life will not magically cure an ailing relationship, self esteem issues or the like. This virtual space should be considered as feel-good fun. Play safe, girls. Visit secondlife.com IMAGINE IF YOU HAD A SECOND CHANCE AT LESBIAN LIFE – BUT ONLINE. VIVIENNE CLEVEN INVESTIGATES. Cyberlife